One bet card game

ABSTRACT

A method of playing a card game comprises: each player selecting a value from a predetermined set of values; each player placing one bet; a dealer drawing a predetermined quantity of cards; determining actual value based on the cards drawn by the dealer; and resolving each player&#39;s bet wherein the player wins if the player&#39;s selected value matches the actual value. In one embodiment, actual value is based on the one card drawn. In a second embodiment, actual value is based on the blackjack value of the two or more cards drawn. In a third embodiment, actual value is based on the poker combination of the five cards drawn. In a fourth embodiment, actual value is based on the baccarat point count of the two or three cards drawn. In further embodiments, a gaming method comprises any combination of two or more of the above-mentioned embodiments.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a method for playing a cardgame that may be played as a casino table game or as a video or computergame.

BACKGROUND

Roulette, blackjack, poker, and baccarat are popular casino games playedall over the world. While these traditional casino games are popular,there is a need in the art for new and improved games that appeal todifferent classes of players and gamblers and that offer additionalbenefits to players and casinos alike.

Some players may be looking for a variation of a casino game that usesfamiliar rules but which is simpler and less stressful to play. Avariation of a casino game that does not require as much strategy toplay as in traditional games like poker and blackjack would be verypopular among some players especially those who are new to casino games.Additionally, a modified casino game that simplifies features oftraditional games and eliminates some of the drawbacks would beappealing to many players. For instance, although conventional roulettegames generally have simple rules of play, some players may bedistracted by the numerous betting options (e.g., there are numerous‘inside bets’ possible such as individual number bets, split bets, threenumber bets, corner bets, six-line bets and numerous ‘outside bets’possible such as red/black bets, even/odd bets, column bets, etc.);while other players may find valuing player and banker hands in baccaratconfusing or may be deterred from playing since players must pay thehouse a commission (often 5%) on winning bets placed on the banker'shand.

Additionally, a simpler game that eliminates multiple hands to value andcompare and eliminates complex betting systems and multiple rounds ofbetting such as those used in traditional poker and variations thereof(e.g., Texas Hold 'em) would be much faster to play, and therefore moreexciting for players and more attractive to casinos who wish to conductas many possible rounds of play in a given time period. Finally, someplayers will enjoy the guarantee of knowing that the most they can loseon any given hand is their initial bet, and that they cannot lose theirentire stack of chips in one hand or be precluded from participating inthe remainder of the game if they lose an “all-in” bet as in somevariations of poker.

Variations such as those mentioned above are therefore likely to expandits reach to even more potential players. Casino games utilizing suchvariations and advantages are likely to be easier to learn and to playthan standard casino games, attract more and higher wagers from bettors,be more enjoyed by players, and be more profitable for the casinos thatoffer them. Other advantages of the present invention will be apparentin light of the ensuing description of the present invention.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a method of playing a card gamethat is easy and quick to play, generates additional excitement, andallows for larger payouts than many conventional card games (e.g.,players are afforded the opportunity to place a bet which can pay out upto 3000 to 1 in one embodiment of the present invention). Offering amore streamlined version of a casino game where all the cards are dealtface up, there is no separate dealer and player hands to value andcompare but rather one community card hand to be used communally by allplayers, and where there is no longer confusing multiple bettingopportunities or options (such as blinds or antes, checking or bettingbetween cards, and folding) would provide numerous advantages. Forinstance, a streamlined version of a casino card game would: (i) attractmore players to the game; (ii) eliminate the complex system of betting;(iii) decrease the need for strategy, conviction, mathematical aptitude,the ability to read other players, the ability to bluff, and the abilityto hide facial expressions or other signals that may give away aplayer's hand; (iv) allow for a smoother and quicker flow of play; and(v) allow for more rounds of play in a given time period. Nonetheless,the features of the present invention will likely attract higher wagersfrom bettors, attract novice players who are new to casino games orexperienced players who desire variety, be more enjoyed by players, andbe more profitable for the casinos that offer them and the players whoplay such games.

The present invention is directed to a gaming method that comprises: (a)each player selecting a chosen value from a predetermined set of values;(b) each player placing one bet; (c) a dealer drawing a predeterminedquantity of community cards; (d) determining actual value based on thecommunity cards; and (e) resolving each player's one bet wherein aplayer wins if the player's chosen value matches the actual value. Inone embodiment, actual value is based on the one card drawn. In a secondembodiment, actual value is based on the blackjack value of the two ormore cards drawn. In a third embodiment, actual value is based on thepoker combination of the five cards drawn. In a fourth embodiment,actual value is based on the baccarat point count of the two or threecards drawn. In further embodiments, a gaming method comprises anycombination of two or more of the above-mentioned embodiments.

In various embodiments of the invention, the actions of the gamingmethod may be performed in a variety of ways and sequences. For example,in one embodiment of the invention, a gaming method comprises: (a) eachplayer selecting a chosen value from a predetermined set of values; (b)each player placing one bet; (c) a dealer drawing one community card;(d) determining actual value based on the one community card; and (e)resolving each player's one bet wherein a player wins if the player'schosen value matches the actual value. In an embodiment, thepredetermined set of values is comprised of Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10, Jack, Queen, and King. In a further embodiment, the predeterminedset of values is comprised of: (i) single card values including: Ace, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King; (ii) two-card valuesincluding: 2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 6-7, 8-9, 9-10, Jack-Queen, Queen-King, 2-5,5-8, 8-Jack, 3-6, 6-9, 9-Queen, 4-7, 7-10, 10-King; (iii) three-cardvalues including: 2-3-4, 5-6-7, 8-9-10, and Jack-Queen-King; (iv)four-card values including: 2-5-8-Jack, 3-6-9-Queen, 4-7-10-King,2-3-5-6, 3-4-6-7, 5-6-8-9, 6-7-9-10, 8-9-Jack-Queen, and9-10-Queen-King; and (v) six-card values including: 2-3-4-5-6-7,5-6-7-8-9-10, and 8-9-10-Jack-Queen-King.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a method of playing acard game comprises: (a) each player selecting a chosen value from apredetermined set of values comprised of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, blackjack,and bust; (b) each player placing one bet; (c) a dealer drawing twocommunity cards; (d) if the blackjack score of the community cards is atleast 17, determining actual value based on the two community cards (e)if the blackjack score of the community cards is less than 17, requiringthe dealer to draw at least one additional card until a total blackjackscore of the community cards and the at least one additional card is atleast 17 wherein the actual value is based on the total blackjack scoreof the community cards and the at least one additional card; and (f)resolving each player's one bet wherein a player wins if the player'schosen value matches the actual value.

In an alternate embodiment, a method of playing a card game comprises:(a) each player selecting a chosen value from a predetermined set ofvalues; (b) each player placing one bet; (c) a dealer drawing apredetermined quantity of community cards; (d) determining actual valuebased on poker combination formed by the community cards; and (e)resolving each player's one bet wherein a player wins if the player'schosen value matches the actual value. In one embodiment, thepredetermined set of values is comprised of: four-of-a-kind or better,full house, flush, straight, three-of-a-kind, two pair, and a pair of atleast 5's and the predetermined quantity is five. In another embodiment,the predetermined set of value is comprised of: straight flush,three-of-a-kind, straight, flush, and a pair and the predeterminedquantity is three.

In a further embodiment, a method of playing a card game comprises: (a)each player selecting a chosen value from a predetermined set of valuescomprised of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; (b) each player placingone bet; (c) a dealer drawing two community cards; (d) if baccarat pointcount of the community cards is at least 5, determining actual valuebased on the baccarat point count of the two community cards; (e) if thebaccarat point count of the community cards is less than 5, requiringthe dealer to draw a third card wherein the actual value is based on atotal baccarat point count of the two community cards and the thirdcard; and (f) resolving each player's one bet wherein a player wins ifthe player's chosen value matches the actual value.

The above description sets forth a summary of embodiments of the presentinvention so that the detailed description that follows may be betterunderstood and contributions of the present invention to the art may bebetter appreciated. Some of the embodiments of the present invention maynot include all of the features or characteristics listed in the abovesummary. There may be, of course, other features of the invention thatwill be described below and may form the subject matter of claims. Inthis respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the inventionin further detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of the construction and to thearrangement of the components set forth in the following description oras illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways; forexample, the invention may be carried out through software on acomputer, via the Internet, or other electronic medium. Furthermore, itis to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed hereinare for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting.

Other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description of the invention, takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by wayof example, various features of embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram depicting a gaming method in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart depicting a gaming method in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a game layout for the embodiment of the inventiondepicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart depicting a gaming method in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a game layout for the embodiment of the inventiondepicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart depicting a gaming method in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a game layout for the embodiment of the inventiondepicted in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart depicting a gaming method in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a game layout for the embodiment of the inventiondepicted in FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In the following description of embodiments of the invention, referenceis made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisapplication. The drawings show, by way of illustration, certainembodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be utilized and modifications maybe made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also,it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employedherein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting.

The order in which the actions are presented below is not limited to anyparticular order and does not necessarily imply that they have to beperformed in the order presented. It will be understood by those ofordinary skill in the art that the order of these actions can berearranged and performed in any suitable manner. It further will beunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art that some actions maybe omitted, added, modified and/or consolidated and still fall withinthe spirit of the invention.

Gaming Method

The present invention is directed to a gaming method and game layoutsthat may be used to implement the gaming method. In general, the gamingmethod is designed to reward players who have selected a value thatmatches a value randomly generated by computer or electronic methods orby a dealer's random drawing one or more community cards. The gamingmethod of the present invention incorporates traditional casino gamingrules in various embodiments of the invention.

In the various embodiments described herein, the term “dealer” mayrepresent the “house” or the casino, and for purposes of description theterm “dealer” and “the house” may be used interchangeably herein toillustrate various embodiments of the invention. The term “dealer” mayalso refer to a virtual dealer or a random value generator inembodiments of the invention that involve computers, the Internet,and/or other forms of electronic media. In other variations of theinvention, the dealer may be a player designated in advance or theplayers may take turns acting as the dealer.

As seen in the block diagram of FIG. 1 which depicts the gaming methodof the present invention, each player selects a value from apredetermined set of values (action 10), each player places one bet(action 20), a dealer draws a predetermined quantity of community cards(action 30), actual value is determined based on the community(s)(action 40), and each player's bet is resolved wherein the player winsif the player's selected value matches the actual value (action 50). Invarious embodiments, the predetermined set of values may include valuesof an individual community card, blackjack values of a plurality ofcommunity cards, a poker combination of a plurality of community cards,or the baccarat point count of a plurality of community cards.

Still referring to FIG. 1, in a first embodiment of the invention, thepredetermined quantity is one and the predetermined set of values iscomprised of Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King.Alternatively, the predetermined quantity is one and the predeterminedset of values is comprised of: (i) single card values including: Ace, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King; (ii) two-card valuesincluding: 2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 6-7, 8-9, 9-10, Jack-Queen, Queen-King, 2-5,5-8, 8-Jack, 3-6, 6-9, 9-Queen, 4-7, 7-10, 10-King; (iii) three-cardvalues including: 2-3-4, 5-6-7, 8-9-10, and Jack-Queen-King; (iv)four-card values including: 2-5-8-Jack, 3-6-9-Queen, 4-7-10-King,2-3-5-6, 3-4-6-7, 5-6-8-9, 6-7-9-10, 8-9-Jack-Queen, and9-10-Queen-King; and (v) six-card values including: 2-3-4-5-6-7,5-6-7-8-9-10, and 8-9-10-Jack-Queen-King.

In a second embodiment, the predetermined set of values is comprised of17, 18, 19, 20, 21, Blackjack, and Bust; the predetermined quantity istwo, the actual value is based on a blackjack score of the communitycards if the blackjack score of the community cards is at least 17, andif the blackjack score of the community cards is less than 17, saidmethod further comprises requiring the dealer to draw at least oneadditional card until a total blackjack score of the community cards andthe at least one additional card is at least 17 wherein the actual valueis based on the total blackjack score of the community cards and the atleast one additional card.

In a third embodiment, the predetermined set of values is comprised of:four-of-a-kind or better, full house, flush, straight, three-of-a-kind,two pair, and a pair of at least 5's, the predetermined quantity isfive, the predetermined quantity is two, and the actual value is basedon the poker combination formed by the two community cards.Alternatively, the predetermined set of values may be comprised of:three-card straight flush, three-of-a-kind, straight, flush, and a pair.the predetermined quantity is three, and the actual value is based onthe three poker combination formed by the three community cards.

In a fourth embodiment, the predetermined set of values is comprised of0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, the predetermined quantity is two, theactual value is based on a baccarat point count of the community cardsif the baccarat point count of the community cards is at least 5, and ifthe baccarat point count of the community cards is less than 5, saidmethod further comprises requiring the dealer to draw a third cardwherein the actual value is based on a total baccarat point count of thecommunity cards and the third card.

The term “community cards” is used to describe cards drawn to be usedfor all players in the game. In some variations, the community cards maybe used to form a blackjack hand, poker hand, or a baccarat hand. Inother variations, only one community card is drawn. The gaming method ofthe present invention does not involve cards drawn to form multiplehands—i.e., there are no individual player hands formed for each playerand there is no separate dealer hand to compare with a player orplayers' hand. In certain embodiments, the community cards drawn mayalso be referred to as “the dealer's hand;” although such a term is usedfor purposes of illustration, this hand is used communally by allplayers to determine actual value. Thus, the terms “community hand” and“dealer hand” may be used interchangeably. In sum, there is only onehand formed (or in some embodiments there is only one card drawn) by thepredetermined quantity of community cards drawn. This community hand (orcard drawn) is to be used to determine the actual value.

Gaming Layout

Still referring to FIG. 1, during action 20, each player places his onebet on a game layout. The game layout is comprised of a plurality ofbetting positions corresponding with the predetermined set of valuesfrom which the player selects his chosen value. After each playerselects a value from the predetermined set of values (action 10), theplayer places one bet (action 20) by simply by placing his wager on thecorresponding betting position which will be described in more detailbelow.

For all the embodiments discussed herein, the gaming layout used may bemade with the common shapes of conventional casino gaming tables such asa semi-circular shape, and may also be made with materials ofconventional gaming tables, such as felt, vinyl, wood, plastic,laminate, and/or marble. In alternate embodiments of the presentinvention, the gaming layout may be a video or computer representationof a conventional gaming table, game layout and/or player position(comprised of the plurality of betting positions).

Each game layout may be comprised of a plurality of player positionswhere each player position includes an individual set of bettingpositions. Any suitable number of player positions may be included inany given gaming layout of the present invention. The number of playerpositions may vary depending on the size of the gaming table and thenumber of players a casino wishes to accommodate in one given game.Also, it is not necessary that all player positions be utilized whilethe game is being played. At least one player position needs to beutilized for the game to be played. For computer or electronicembodiments, not all player positions need to be shown on the display.In some embodiments, only one player position is shown while in otherembodiments such as those wherein the player plays along with virtualplayers or other real players via the Internet, the other playerpositions may be shown so that the player can see which values the otherplayers are selecting although not necessary.

Alternatively, each game layout may be comprised of one communal set ofbetting positions to be used by all players. In embodiments thatimplement the use of one communal set of betting positions, eachplayer's bets may be distinguished by different wagering chips (e.g.,different color wagering chips such as those used in traditionalroulette games).

The gaming layout may also include one or more community card positions.The one or more community card positions may be located substantially inthe center of the gaming layout or the board, near or in front of thedealer, or in any position that is easily visible by all players. Anycombination of colors, patterns, designs, words, numbers, logos, shapes,borders, and/or other symbols may be used to designate community cardpositions.

For the game layout of the present invention that will be described inmore detail below, the betting positions may be configured in a varietyof patterns and positions and may be comprised of a variety of shapes.Any one or combination of words, numbers, colors, logos, shapes,patterns, designs, borders, and/or other symbols or indicia may be usedto designate the different betting positions so that they correspondwith the predetermined set of values. Other features may be includedwithin any given gaming layout such as payout schedules/tables, rules ofplay, logos, trademarks, casino name, designs and/or various artisticelements.

I. Embodiments Using Values Based on One Card Drawn

In an embodiment of the gaming method depicted in FIG. 1, the gamingmethod of the present invention is designed to reward players (byallowing them to win and get paid for their bets) if they correctlyselect the outcome of one community card drawn by the dealer (or thecard value may randomly be selected via computer or electronic methodsor via a spin of a customized roulette-type wheel marked with cardvalues instead of standard roulette values). In such embodiments, thepredetermined quantity of community cards referenced in FIG. 1 wouldequal one.

Such embodiments are directed a roulette-type game that can be playedwith a predetermined set of cards comprised of one to eight decks ofcards. The player is required to make one bet on the value of a card thedealer will draw. If the card the dealer draws matches the card valuethe player picked then the player wins. After all players have placedtheir bets, the dealer draws one card and places it face up on thetable. The value of the card drawn decides the outcome of the game.

In light of the foregoing, a method of playing a card game shown in FIG.2 comprises: each player selecting a value (action 110); each playerplacing one bet on the value selected (action 120); a dealer drawing onecard (action 130); determining actual value based on the one card drawn(action 140); and resolving each player's bet wherein a player wins ifhis selected value matches the actual value (action 150). A game layoutis provided (FIG. 3) which corresponds to the predetermined values thata player may select.

Predetermined Set of Values

Still referring to FIG. 2, each player selects a value (action 11) byplacing his one bet on the corresponding betting position on the gamelayout shown in FIG. 3. These values are selected from a predeterminedset of values which could include any suitable value which correspondsto the predetermined set of cards used in the game. As depicted in FIG.2, a player may select a single cared value (action 111); a two-cardvalue (action 112); a three-card value (action 113); a four-card value(action 114); or a six-card value (action 115). Accordingly, thepredetermined set of values used in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2 iscomprised of the following:

-   -   Single Card Values which include: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,        10, Jack, Queen, and King;    -   Two-Card Values which include: 2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 6-7, 8-9, 9-10,        Jack-Queen, Queen-King, 2-5, 5-8, 8-Jack, 3-6, 6-9, 9-Queen,        4-7, 7-10, 10-King;    -   Three-Card Values which include: 2-3-4, 5-6-7, 8-9-10, and        Jack-Queen-King;    -   Four-Card Values which include: 2-5-8-Jack, 3-6-9-Queen,        4-7-10-King, 2-3-5-6, 3-4-6-7, 5-6-8-9, 6-7-9-10,        8-9-Jack-Queen, and 9-10-Queen-King;    -   Six-Card Values which include: 2-3-4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8-9-10, and        8-9-10-Jack-Queen-King.

Any suitable predetermined set of values may be used in such embodimentsso long as the predetermined set of values correlate with thepredetermined set of cards used in the game. For example, thepredetermined set of values may include any one or combination of thefollowing values: spades, diamonds, clubs, hearts, red, black, even,odd, joker, any combination thereof; or any one or more of the foregoingvalues may be further included in the predetermined set of values shownin FIG. 2 (actions 111-115).

Game Layout & Placing of Bets

For purposes of describing the various embodiments herein, the term“single-card bet” is used to designate a bet when the player selects asingle-card value; “two-card bet” is used to designate a bet when theplayer selects a two-card value; “three-card bet” is used to designate abet when the player selects a third-card value; “four-card bet” is usedto designate a bet when the player selects a four-card value; and“six-card bet” is used to designate a bet when the player selects asix-card value.

The predetermined set of values depicted in actions 111-115 correspondswith betting positions on the game layout as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thegame layout in FIG. 3 is comprised of the following betting positions:position 161 to designate a single-card bet on an Ace card, position 162to designate a single-card bet on a 2 card, position 163 to designate asingle-card bet on a 3 card, position 164 to designate a single-card beton a 4 card, position 165 to designate a single-card bet on a 5 card,position 166 to designate a single-card bet on a 6 card, position 167 todesignate a single-card bet on a 7 card, position 168 to designate asingle-card bet on an 8 card, position 169 to designate a single-cardbet on a 9 card, position 170 to designate a single-card bet on a 10card, position 171 to designate a single-card bet on a Jack card,position 172 to designate a single-card bet on a Queen card, position173 to designate a single-card bet on a King card, position 181 todesignate a six-card bet on the six-card value 2-3-4-5-6-7, position 182to designate a six-card bet on the six-card value 5-6-7-8-9-10, andposition 183 to designate a six-card bet on the six-card value8-9-10-Jack-Queen-King.

Each player places one bet on the player's selected value by placing hiswager on the betting position that corresponds with the value selectedon the game layout. The player would place his bet according to bettingpractices used in traditional roulette. Such traditional roulettebetting practices include the following:

-   -   Single card bets would be placed directly on the single-card        value position on the layout (i.e., a player may place one bet        on any one of positions 161-173).    -   Two-card bets would be placed on a border between two        single-card value positions (e.g., a two-card bet may be placed        on the border between positions 171 and 172 to designate a        two-card bet on Jack-Queen or a two-card bet may be made on        positions 166 and 169 to designate a two-card bet on 6-9.        However, position 161 which designates a single-card bet on an        Ace card cannot be involved in any two-card bets as well as        three-card bets, four-card bets, and six-card bets since an Ace        can only be selected via a single-card bet in the embodiment        depicted in FIGS. 2-3.    -   Three-card bets would be placed at an end of a row of three        single-card value positions (e.g., a three-card bet may be        placed on the row ending with position 170 to designate a        three-card bet on 8-9-10).    -   Four-card bets would be placed at the intersection of four        single-card value positions or at an end of a column of four        single-card value positions (e.g., a four-card bet may be placed        at the intersection of positions 163, 164, 166, and 167 to        designate a four-card bet on 3-4-6-7 or a four-card bet may be        placed at the end of the column ending with position 173 to        designate a four-card bet on 4-7-10-King).    -   Six-card bets would be placed on a position specially designated        for six card values (e.g., a six-card bet may be placed on        position 181 to designate a six-card bet on 2-3-4-5-6-7).

In other embodiments of the invention, the game layout may includebetting positions configured differently and therefore, the method ofplacing bets may differ than as described above. For instance, the gridof betting positions may be comprised of fewer or more rows and/orcolumns, and rows and columns may be used for different types of betsthan as described above. Additionally, there may be less or more bettingpositions that designate multi-card bets (e.g., positions 181, 183, and183 are each multi-card betting positions since they each designatesix-card bets in FIG. 3), or each multi-card betting position maydesignate a different type of bet. For instance, in an alternateembodiment, the game layout may include a betting position thatdesignates a three-card bet, four-card bet, five-card bet, seven-cardbet, eight-card bet, or any other multi-card bet. Yet, in otherembodiments, roulette betting practices are not used and the game layoutincludes betting positions which are each specially designated for thevarious types of single card bets and multi-card bets. In suchembodiments that do not incorporate the betting practices ofconventional roulette when making multi-card bets, to make a multi-cardbet, players do not place bets at the ends of columns or rows, inbetween two single-card betting positions, or at the intersection offour single-card betting positions. Instead, players must only placebets within specially designated betting areas (e.g., there may be aplurality of any suitable shapes such as circles, squares, octagons,etc. in which the bets may only be placed within, and bets are notallowed to be placed in between such shapes or outside the borders ofsuch shapes). Of course, numerous variations of game layouts arepossible so long as the betting positions correspond with thepredetermined values from which the players must select their chosenvalue.

Predetermined Set of Cards

In the embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 2, the predeterminedset of cards is comprised of a standard 52-card deck of playing cards,which includes four of each of the following cards: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7, 8, 9, 10, Jacks, Queens, and Kings; one of each value is alsodenominated with suits of spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts. Inalternate embodiments, the predetermined set of cards may be comprisedof a 54-card deck of cards which include one or more jokers.

Although, the embodiment depicted utilizes 52 cards of a standard deckof playing cards, additional playing cards may be added or removed fromthe predetermined set of cards, and specialized cards with customindicia (e.g., custom colors and/or symbols) may be used instead of orin combination with standard playing cards so long as the bettingpositions of the wagering area correlate with the set of cards chosenfor any given embodiment. Also, in alternate embodiments, a single deckor up to eight or more decks of predetermined cards may be used. Forinstance, in the version of the invention depicted in FIG. 2, one or upto eight 52-card decks may be used. Additionally, in electronicembodiments, virtual “cards” may be used and card values may be selectedrandomly by computer. As such, the playing card deck or roulette-likewheel with corresponding card values may be replaced bycomputer-generated representations in various embodiments. Similar tocomputer poker games, the values may be selected randomly by computerand displayed as a virtual representation on a computer/electronicdevice or television screen/monitor, transmitted across the Internet, orreplicated as a series of lights or colors. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will be easily able to adapt the present invention to variouselectronic, computer and Internet-enabled forms.

Resolving Bets

Each player's bet is resolved wherein the players' bets are either lostor paid out in some multiple according to the rarity of the eventpredicted by the wager. A player wins if his selected value matches theactual value or in other words: if the card value the dealer drawsmatches the card value the player picked, then the player wins. Theembodiments shown in FIGS. 2-3 may be resolved as follows:

Ace Bets & Ace Card Drawn

Unless the player selects a single-card value on “Ace” alone, if an Aceis drawn then the player will lose only half of his wager. If the playerbets on single-card value “Ace,” and an Ace is drawn, then his bet willbe resolved according to single-card bets described below. In theembodiment shown in FIGS. 2-3, Ace is a single-card bet only and is notincluded in any of the two-card values, three-card values, four-cardvalues, or six-card values. When a player places a bet on single-value“Ace” and any other card is drawn, the player loses only half of hisbet.

Single Card Bet (Player Selects Single Card Value)

If a player places a bet on any single card value and if the card drawnmatches it, the player is paid 11 to 1.

Two-Card Bet (Player Selects Two-Card Value)

If a player places a bet on a two-card value and if the card drawnmatches one of the two cards identified in the two-card value, theplayer is paid 5 to 1.

Three-Card Bet (Player Selects Three-Card Value)

If a player places a bet on a three-card value and if the card drawnmatches one of the three cards identified in the three-card value, theplayer is paid 3 to 1.

Four-Card Bet (Player Selects Four-Card Value)

If a player places a bet on a four-card value and if the card drawnmatches one of the four cards identified in the four-card value, theplayer is paid 2 to 1.

Six-Card Bet (Player Selects Six-Card Value)

If a player places a bet on a six-card value and if the card drawnmatches one of the six cards identified in the six-card value, theplayer is paid 1 to 1.

In view of the above, if the player's chosen value matches the actualvalue, resolving each player's one bet comprises:

-   -   the dealer paying 11-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value was        selected from the single card values;    -   the dealer paying 5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value was        selected from the two-card values;    -   the dealer paying 3-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value was        selected from the three-card values;    -   the dealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value was        selected from the four-card values; and the    -   dealer paying 1-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value was        selected from the six-card values.

If the player's chosen value does not match the actual value, resolvingeach player's one bet comprises:

-   -   the player losing the one bet unless the community card is an        Ace;    -   the player losing half of the one bet if the community card is        an Ace; and    -   the player losing half of the one bet if the chosen value is an        Ace.

II. Embodiments Using Blackjack Values

In another embodiment of the gaming method depicted in FIG. 1, thepredetermined quantity of community cards referenced in FIG. 1 may betwo. Depending on the value of the hand formed by the two communitycards drawn, the dealer may then have to draw one or more additionalcards according to house rules as discussed below. In alternateembodiments, the community card values may randomly be selected viacomputer or electronic methods.

FIG. 4 depicts an a method of playing a card game comprising: eachplayer selecting a value (action 210); each player placing one bet onthe value selected (action 220); a dealer dealing two cards and must hit(or draw another card) until value of the cards dealt is 17 or betterusing blackjack scoring (action 230); determining actual value based onblackjack score of all cards dealt (action 240); and resolving eachplayer's bet wherein a player wins if his selected value matches theactual value (action 250). During action 210, each player may select avalue from the predetermined set of values comprised of the followingvalues: 17 (action 211), 18 (action 212), 19 (action 213), 20 (action214), 21 (action 215), blackjack (action 216), and bust (action 217).

Predetermined Set of Values

The predetermined set of values in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 iscomprised of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, Blackjack, and Bust. In anotherembodiment, the dealer draws only two community cards, and thus, theactual value is based on the hand formed only by the two communitycards. In such embodiments, the predetermined set of values may becomprised of: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,18, 19, 20, and 21. The set of predetermined set of values may differ invarious embodiments of the present invention.

Game Layout & Placing of Bets

FIG. 5 illustrates a game layout which may be used with the methoddepicted in FIG. 4 as it includes betting positions that correlate withthe predetermined set of values used in this embodiment. Thepredetermined set of values depicted in actions 211-217 corresponds withbetting positions on the game layout as illustrated in FIG. 5. The gamelayout in FIG. 5 is comprised of the following betting positions:position 261 to designate that the player selected the value 17,position 262 to designate that the player selected the value 18,position 263 to designate that the player selected the value 19,position 264 to designate that the player selected the value 20,position 265 to designate that the player selected the value 21,position 266 to designate that the player selected the value Blackjack,and position 267 to designate that the player selected the value Bust.

Once the player selects a value from the set of predetermined set ofvalues, the player then places his one bet on the value selected on thecorrelating betting position on the game layout. In other embodiments ofthe invention, the game layout may include betting positions configureddifferently or may include different shapes, patterns, designs, colors,and/or indicia. For instance, the betting positions may be arrangedlinearly instead of the configuration shown in FIG. 5.

There may be a plurality of any suitable shapes such as circles,squares, diamonds, etc. in which the bets may be placed within. Ofcourse, numerous variations of game layouts are possible so long as thebetting positions correspond with the predetermined values from whichthe players must select their chosen value. As such, the set of bettingpositions may be comprised of fewer or more betting positions tocorrelate with a different set of predetermined values.

In alternate embodiments, the game layout may include one or morebetting positions that designate multi-value bets (e.g., a player mayselect a value of 19-20 which means that the blackjack score of thecards drawn will be either 19 or 20). In such embodiments, there may beadditional betting positions that each designates such multi-value bets(e.g., there may be a separate betting position specially designatingthe 19-20 value). Alternatively, roulette-type betting practices asdescribed above may be used (e.g., if the player selects a value of17-19, then the player places his bet on the border between positions261 and 263).

Predetermined Set of Cards & Valuing Community Cards Drawn

Traditional blackjack rules are used to value the cards drawn and todetermine game outcome. At least one standard deck of 52 playing cardsis used in the present invention although up to eight decks of cards maybe used. These cards each have a numerical or letter value, and a suitassociated with them. A standard deck is comprised of four sets (ofthirteen cards each) numbered as follows: A (ace), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, J (jack), Q (queen), and K (king). There are four cards of eachvalue, one of each “suit”: spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts. As inconventional blackjack, the suit is irrelevant for purposes of thepresent invention, and only the value of the card is considered. Thevalue of the cards is computed as follows: for the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,and 9 cards, they are each given the value shown on the card; tens,jacks, queens, and kings are each valued as ten points; aces may bevalued as one point or as eleven points.

To value the community card hand (which may also be referred to as thedealer hand although there is no player hand used in the gaming methodof the present invention), the value of each card drawn is addedtogether based on the above-described rules for blackjack scoring. AnAce and any 10-value card form a blackjack. If the total value of allthe cards drawn exceeds a score of 21, then the hand “busts.”

Predetermined Quantity of Cards & Drawing of Additional Cards

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the predetermined quantity of cardsis initially two community cards. However, the dealer will deal the twocommunity cards to form a community hand and then if necessary, play outthe hand by house rules. For example, the house rules may be comprisedof the following: if the blackjack value of the two community cards isat least a certain value (which is 17 in this embodiment), the dealerstands (i.e., does not draw any additional cards); and if the value ofthe two community cards is less than 17, the dealer is required to hit(or draws another card) until the value of the community card hand is 17(including soft 17) or better. A “soft 17” is a hand that contains atleast one ace and the total value of the hand can equal either 7 or 17since an ace can be valued as either a one or an eleven. A soft 17 is ahand which adds up to 17 counting an ace as an eleven. Other examples ofsoft 17 hands include, but are not limited to, hands comprised of:(ace-4-2), (ace-3-3), (5-ace-ace), (2-2-2-ace), or (4-ace-ace-ace).Therefore, whether the community hand is comprised of the two communitycards or is comprised of the two community cards plus at least oneadditional card, the value of the community hand will either be 17, 18,19, 20, 21, blackjack, or bust. The actual value is therefore based onthe blackjack score of the community hand comprised of the two communitycards (if the two community cards form a hand with a value of at least17) or the two community cards and at least one additional card (if thetwo community cards initially formed a hand less than 17).

In alternate embodiments, the house rules which dictate whether thedealer must draw at least one additional card after drawing the twocommunity cards may vary. For instance, in an alternate embodiment, adealer may be required to draw an additional card if the two communitycards drawn form a soft 17. Yet, in another embodiment, the dealer isnot permitted to draw any additional cards and the actual value is basedon the hand formed only by the two community cards. In such embodiments,the predetermined set of values may be comprised of: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.

With reference to FIG. 1, the aforementioned embodiment is directed to amethod of playing a card game wherein the predetermined set of values iscomprised of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, blackjack, and bust; the predeterminedquantity is two; the actual value is based on a blackjack score of thecommunity cards if the blackjack score of the community cards is atleast 17, and if the blackjack score of the community cards is less than17, said method further comprises requiring the dealer to draw at leastone additional card until a total blackjack score of the community cardsand the at least one additional card is at least 17 wherein the actualvalue is based on the total blackjack score of the community cards andthe at least one additional card.

In light of the above, a method of playing a card game comprises: (a)each player selecting a chosen value from a predetermined set of valuescomprised of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, blackjack, and bust; (b) each playerplacing one bet; (c) a dealer drawing two community cards; (d) if theblackjack score of the community cards is at least 17, determiningactual value based on the two community cards; (e) if the blackjackscore of the community cards is less than 17, requiring the dealer todraw at least one additional card until a total blackjack score of thecommunity cards and the at least one additional card is at least 17wherein the actual value is based on the total blackjack score of thecommunity cards and the at least one additional card; and (f) resolvingeach player's one bet wherein a player wins if the player's chosen valuematches the actual value.

Resolving Bets

The player simply has to make a bet on the value of the dealer hand. Ifthe value of the dealer hand matches the value the player picked thenthe player wins. If the player selects a hand value that does not matchthe value of the dealer hand, the player will lose his bet. TABLES 1 orTABLE 2 may be used to resolve each player's bet in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

TABLE 1 Pay Table Hand Value Payment 17 5 to 1 18 6 to 1 19 6 to 1 20 4to 1 21 12 to 1  Blackjack 19 to 1  Bust 2 to 1

TABLE 2 Pay Table Hand Value Payment 17 5 to 1 18 5 to 1 19 6 to 1 20 4to 1 21 12 to 1  Blackjack 18 to 1  Bust 2 to 1

As seen in TABLE 1, if the player's chosen value matches the actualvalue (i.e., value of the community hand which is also referred to asdealer hand), resolving each player's one bet comprises: the dealerpaying 5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 17; the dealerpaying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 18; the dealerpaying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 19; the dealerpaying 4-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 20; the dealerpaying 12-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 21; the dealerpaying 19-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is Blackjack; and thedealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is Bust. If thechosen value does not match the actual value, resolving each player'sone bet comprises the player losing the one bet.

Alternatively, according to TABLE 2, if the player's chosen valuematches the actual value, resolving each player's one bet comprises: thedealer paying 5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 17; thedealer paying 5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 18; thedealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 19; thedealer paying 4-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 20; thedealer paying 12-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 21; thedealer paying 18-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is Blackjack;and the dealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is Bust.If the chosen value does not match the actual value, resolving eachplayer's one bet comprises the player losing the one bet.

In alternate embodiments, any suitable payment schedule may be used toresolve each player's bet. For instance, each player's bet may beresolved according to any payment schedule wherein the players' bets areeither lost or paid out in some multiple according to the rarity of thevalue selected by the player.

III. Embodiments Using Poker Values

In an alternate embodiment of the gaming method depicted in FIG. 1, thepredetermined set of values are comprised of poker combination values,and actual value is based on the poker combination of the hand formed bythe community cards drawn. In such embodiments, the predeterminedquantity of cards is any suitable quantity of cards that will form apoker combination.

FIG. 6 depicts a method of playing a card game comprising: each playerselecting a value (action 310); each player placing one bet on the valueselected (action 320); a dealer drawing five cards (action 330);determining actual value based on the poker combination of the fivecards drawn (action 340); and resolving each player's bet wherein aplayer wins if his selected value matches the actual value (action 350).During action 310, each player may select a value from the predeterminedset of values comprised of the following values: four-of-a-kind orbetter (action 311), full house (action 312), flush (action 313),straight (action 314), three-of-a-kind (action 315), two pair (action316), and pair of 5's through aces (action 317).

Predetermined Set of Cards & Valuing Community Cards Drawn

In this embodiment, one standard 52-card deck of playing cards is used.These cards each have numerical or letter indicia and a suit associatedwith them. A standard deck is comprised of four sets (of thirteen cardseach) numbered as follows: A (ace), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J(jack), Q (queen), and K (king); and there are four of each of thesecards, one of each “suit:” spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts. Indifferent embodiments, one, two, or four “jokers” may be added to thedeck to serve as “wild cards,” which may be used to represent any cardof any suit.

Poker games usually use a standard method of ranking poker handsalthough in this embodiment of the present invention, ranking isrelevant to the payment schedule used to resolve each player's bet sincethe ranking of poker combinations are based on rarity. Descriptions andthe ranking of five-card poker combinations are as follows (from mostvaluable to least valuable):

-   -   Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 of the same suit        (e.g., A-K-Q-J-10)    -   Straight Flush: five cards of the same suit, in order (e.g.,        Q-J-10-9-8 of spades)    -   Four-of-a-Kind: four cards of the same value, and one extra card        (e.g., J-J-J-J-7)    -   Full House: three cards of one value, plus two of another (e.g.,        A-A-A-3-3)    -   Flush: five cards of the same suit (e.g., A-J-9-7-2 of clubs)    -   Straight: five cards in sequence, Aces may be low or high (e.g.,        9-8-7-6-5)    -   Three-of-a-Kind: three cards of the same value, and two extra        (e.g., 5-5-5-K-Q)    -   Two Pair: two cards of one value plus two cards of another        (e.g., 10-10-6-6-Q)    -   One Pair: two cards of one value, and three extra (e.g.,        A-A-9-5-2)

Hands higher in the list are more rare (the odds of attaining them arehigher), and therefore more valuable, and beat hands lower on the list.If a player correctly selects a high ranking hand, the player would getpaid out more on his bet than he would if he correctly selected a lowerranking hand. The highest possible Straight Flush, A-K-Q-J-10 of thesame suit, is called a “Royal Flush” or “Royal Straight Flush.”Five-of-a-kind is possible only with wild cards (or multiple decks), andusually beats a Straight Flush.

Predetermined Set of Values & Predetermined Quantity of Cards

As seen in FIG. 6, the predetermined quantity of cards is five, and thepredetermined set of values therefore include: four-of-a-kind or better(action 311), full house (action 312), flush (action 313), straight(action 314), three-of-a-kind (action 315), two pair (action 316), andpair of 5's through aces (action 317).

In alternate embodiments, a different quantity of community cards may beused and therefore, the actual value (and predetermined set of valuesfrom which the player selects his value) is based on poker combinationsformed by hands comprised of fewer or more cards. For example, in oneembodiment, the predetermined quantity is three (i.e. dealer draws threecommunity cards to form a three card poker hand). A ranking systemsimilar to the above-described system for five card hands may be usedfor three card hands wherein a three-card straight flush may still bethe highest-ranking hand, followed by three-of-a-kind (there is nopossibility of four-of-a-kind or a full house), a straight, a flush, anda pair. Different variations may vary whether the straight or flush isthe higher-ranking hand. In another example, more than five communitycards may be drawn to form a poker hand. For instance the predeterminedquantity of cards may be seven (which forms a seven card poker hand),and actual value may then be determined by whichever five cards form themost valuable hand.

Game Layout & Placing of Bets

FIG. 7 illustrates a game layout which may be used with the methoddepicted in FIG. 6 as it includes betting positions that correlate withthe predetermined set of values used in this embodiment. Thepredetermined set of values depicted in actions 311-317 corresponds withbetting positions on the game layout as illustrated in FIG. 7. The gamelayout in FIG. 7 is comprised of the following betting positions:position 361 to designate that the player selected the valuefour-of-a-kind or better, position 362 to designate that the playerselected the value full house, position 363 to designate that the playerselected the value flush, position 364 to designate that the playerselected the value straight, position 365 to designate that the playerselected the value three-of-a-kind, position 366 to designate that theplayer selected the value two pair, and position 367 to designate thatthe player selected the value pair of 5's through Aces.

Once the player selects a value from the set of predetermined set ofvalues, the player then places his one bet on the value selected on thecorrelating betting position on the game layout. In other embodiments ofthe invention, the game layout may include betting positions configureddifferently or may include different shapes, patterns, designs, colors,and/or indicia. For instance, each betting positions may be arrangedlinearly instead of the configuration shown in FIG. 7.

There may be a plurality of any suitable shapes such as circles,squares, diamonds, etc. in which the bets may be placed within. Ofcourse, numerous variations of game layouts are possible so long as thebetting positions correspond with the predetermined values from whichthe players must select their chosen value. As such, the set of bettingpositions may be comprised of fewer or more betting positions tocorrelate with a different set of predetermined values.

In alternate embodiments, the game layout may include one or morebetting positions that designate multi-value bets (e.g., a player mayselect a value of “full house-flush” which means that the pokercombination of the cards drawn will be either a full house or a flush).In such embodiments, there may be additional betting positions that eachdesignates such multi-value bets (e.g., there may be a separate bettingposition specially designating the “full house-flush” value).Alternatively, roulette-type betting practices as described above may beused (e.g., if the player selects a value of “full house-flush”, thenthe player places his bet on the border between positions 361 and 363).

Resolving Bets

The player selects a value (a poker combination in this embodiment), andif the value of the community hand matches the value the player chosethen the player wins and may be paid according to a variety of paymentschedules. If the player selects a value that does not match the valueof the community hand, the player will lose his bet. TABLE 3 may be usedto resolve each player's bet in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

TABLE 3 Pay Table Hand Value Payment Four-of-a-Kind or Better 3000 to 1 Full House 600 to 1 Flush 450 to 1 Straight 220 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind  40to 1 Two Pair  19 to 1 A Pair of 5's thru Aces  2 to 1

As seen in TABLE 3, if the player's chosen value matches the actualvalue (i.e., poker combination of the community hand), resolving eachplayer's one bet comprises: the dealer paying 3000-to-1 of the one betif the chosen value is four-of-a-kind or better; the dealer paying600-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is full house; the dealerpaying 450-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is flush; the dealerpaying 220-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is straight; thedealer paying 40-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value isthree-of-a-kind; the dealer paying 19-to-1 of the one bet if the chosenvalue is two pair; and the dealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is at a pair of at least 5's; and if the player's chosenvalue does not match the actual value, resolving each player's one betcomprises the player losing the one bet.

In alternate embodiments, any suitable payment schedule may be used toresolve each player's bet. For instance, each player's bet may beresolved according to a payment schedule wherein the players' bets arepaid out in some multiple according to the rarity of the pokercombination value selected by the player.

IV. Embodiments Using Baccarat Point Values

In another embodiment of the gaming method depicted in FIG. 1, thepredetermined quantity of community cards referenced in FIG. 1 may betwo. Depending on the value of the hand formed by the two communitycards drawn, the dealer may then have to draw a third card as describedbelow. In alternate embodiments, the community card values may randomlybe selected via computer or electronic methods.

FIG. 8 depicts an a method of playing a card game comprising: eachplayer selecting a value of either 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9(action 410); each player placing one bet on the value selected (action420); a dealer drawing two cards and if the baccarat point count of thetwo cards drawn is less than 5, the dealer must draw a third card(action 430); determining actual value based on the baccarat point countof all cards drawn (action 440); and resolving each player's bet whereina player wins if his selected value matches the actual value (action450).

Predetermined Set of Values

The predetermined set of values in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 iscomprised of: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. In another embodiment,the dealer draws only two cards wherein the actual value is based on thebaccarat hand formed only by the two community cards, and thepredetermined set of values may also be comprised of: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 7, 8, and 9. The set of predetermined set of values may differ invarious embodiments of the present invention. For instance, in analternate embodiment, the predetermined set of values may exclude one ormore of the above-identified values.

Game Layout & Placing of Bets

FIG. 9 illustrates a game layout which may be used with the methoddepicted in FIG. 8 since it includes betting positions that correlatewith the predetermined set of values used in this embodiment. Thepredetermined set of values 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 correspondsrespectively with betting positions 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466,467, 468, and 469 on the game layout illustrated in FIG. 9. Thus, thegame layout in FIG. 9 is comprised of the following betting positions:position 460 to designate that the player selected the value 0; position461 to designate that the player selected the value 1; position 462 todesignate that the player selected the value 2; position 463 todesignate that the player selected the value 3; position 464 todesignate that the player selected the value 4; position 465 todesignate that the player selected the value 5; position 466 todesignate that the player selected the value 6; position 467 todesignate that the player selected the value 7; position 468 todesignate that the player selected the value 8; and position 469 todesignate that the player selected the value 9.

Once the player selects a value from the set of predetermined set ofvalues, the player then places his one bet on the value selected on thecorrelating betting position on the game layout. In other embodiments ofthe invention, the game layout may include betting positions configureddifferently or may include different shapes, patterns, designs, colors,and/or indicia. For instance, the betting positions may be comprised ofdifferent shapes and may be arranged in alternate patterns (e.g., grid,pyramid, circular pattern, etc.) instead of the linear configurationshown in FIG. 9.

There may be a plurality of any suitable shapes such as circles,squares, diamonds, etc. in which the bets may be placed within. Ofcourse, numerous variations of game layouts are possible so long as thebetting positions correspond with the predetermined values from whichthe players must select their chosen value. As such, the set of bettingpositions may be comprised of fewer betting positions to correlate witha different set of predetermined values.

In alternate embodiments, the game layout may include one or morebetting positions that designate multi-value bets (e.g., a player mayselect a value of 4-5 which means that the baccarat point count of thecards drawn will be either 4 or 5). In such embodiments, there may beadditional betting positions that each designates such multi-value bets(e.g., there may be a separate betting position specially designatingthe 4-5 value). Alternatively, roulette-type betting practices asdescribed above in another embodiment of the invention may be used(e.g., if the player selects a value of 4-5, then the player places hisbet on the border between positions 464 and 465).

Predetermined Set of Cards & Valuing Community Cards Drawn

Traditional baccarat scoring rules are used to value the cards drawn andto determine game outcome. At least one standard deck of 52 playingcards is used in the present invention although up to eight decks ofcards may be used. These cards each have a numerical or letter value,and a suit associated with them. A standard deck is comprised of foursets (of thirteen cards each) numbered as follows: A (ace), 2, 3, 4, 5,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J (jack), Q (queen), and K (king). There are four cardsof each value, one of each “suit”: spades, diamonds, clubs, and hearts.

The cards in a baccarat hand are valued as follows: all face cards andtens have no value or have a zero value. Cards less than ten are valuedat their face value, with aces valued as one. Suits are irrelevant. Thetwo or three cards in a hand are added up, and any two digit values dropthe digit in the tens column (resulting in a value between zero andnine). For example, a 7 card and an 8 card add up to 15, but thebaccarat card value is five.

Predetermined Quantity of Cards & Drawing of Additional Cards

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the predetermined quantity of cardsis initially two community cards. The dealer will initially deal the twocommunity cards to form a community hand and then deal a third card ifthe baccarat point count of the two community cards drawn is less than5. Therefore, the community hand is either comprised of the twocommunity cards initially drawn or is comprised of the two communitycards plus a third card. The actual value is based on the baccarat scoreof the community hand comprised of the two community cards (if they forma baccarat hand with a value of at least 5) or the two community cardsand a third card (if the two community cards initially formed a baccarathand less than 5).

In alternate embodiments, the game rules which dictate whether thedealer must draw a third card after drawing the two community cards mayvary. For instance, in an alternate embodiment, a dealer may be requiredto draw an additional card if the two community cards drawn have abaccarat point count of 4, 6 or another value not equal to 5. In anotherembodiment, the dealer does not draw a third card no matter what thebaccarat point count of the first community cards, and the actual valueis therefore based on the hand formed only by the two community cards.

In view of the foregoing, a method of playing a card game comprises: (a)each player selecting a chosen value from a predetermined set of valuescomprised of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; (b) each player placingone bet; (c) a dealer drawing two community cards; (d) if baccarat pointcount of the community cards is at least 5, determining actual valuebased on the baccarat point count of the two community cards; (e) if thebaccarat point count of the community cards is less than 5, requiringthe dealer to draw a third card wherein the actual value is based on atotal baccarat point count of the two community cards and the thirdcard; and (f) resolving each player's one bet wherein a player wins ifthe player's chosen value matches the actual value.

Resolving Bets

The player is required to make one bet on the baccarat score of thedealer hand. If the baccarat score of the dealer hand matches thebaccarat score the player chose then the player wins. If the playerselected a baccarat score that does not match the baccarat score of thedealer hand, the player will lose his bet. TABLE 4 may be used toresolve each player's bet in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

TABLE 4 Pay Table Hand Value Payment 0 12 to 1 1 14 to 1 2 14 to 1 3 14to 1 4 14 to 1 5  6 to 1 6  6 to 1 7  6 to 1 8  6 to 1 9  6 to 1

As shown in TABLE 4, if the player's chosen value (i.e. selectedbaccarat score) matches the actual value (i.e., baccarat score of thecommunity hand), resolving each player's one bet comprises: the dealerpaying 12-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 0; the dealerpaying 14-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 1; the dealerpaying 14-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 2; the dealerpaying 14-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 3; the dealerpaying 14-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 4; the dealerpaying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 5; the dealer paying6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 6; the dealer paying 6-to-1of the one bet if the chosen value is 7; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of theone bet if the chosen value is 8; and the dealer paying 6-to-1 of theone bet if the chosen value is 9. If the chosen value does not match theactual value, resolving each player's one bet comprises the playerlosing the one bet.

In other embodiments, any suitable payment schedule may be used toresolve each player's bet. For instance, each player's bet may beresolved according to any payment schedule wherein the players' bets arepaid out in some multiple according to the rarity of the value selectedby the player.

V. Embodiments with Varying Rounds of Play

In a further embodiment, the gaming method of the present invention iscomprised of multiple rounds of play wherein each round of playgenerally includes the following (FIG. 1): each player selects a valuefrom a predetermined set of values (action 10), each player places onebet (action 20), a dealer draws a predetermined quantity of communitycards (action 30), actual value is determined based on the community(s)(action 40), and each player's bet is resolved wherein the player winsif the player's selected value matches the actual value (action 50).However, the gaming method includes varying rounds of play wherein eachround incorporates a different embodiment such as those depicted inFIGS. 2, 4, 6 and/or 8 as described hereinabove. In other words, onegaming method may include one round of play using the one-card variationdescribed in FIG. 2, a second round of play using the blackjackvariation described in FIG. 4, a third round of play using the pokervariation described in FIG. 6, and/or a fourth round of play using thebaccarat variation described in FIG. 8 wherein each variety is playedrandomly or according to parameters predetermined by game rules ordecided by the player.

Such embodiments are possible on gaming tables, but the tables wouldneed to incorporate additional betting positions to accommodate thevariety in rounds of play and possible bets a player can make. Forexample, one game layout may include both FIGS. 5 and 7 or a variationthereof comprised of one layout that incorporates both blackjack valuesand poker combination values. However, computer or electronic variationsof the present invention are more suitable for varying rounds of playsince the player would simply need to select and program which varietieshe wishes to play. For example, a player may choose to play a variationthat incorporates the variations of the invention described in FIGS. 2,4, 6 and, 8 (i.e., variation of the present invention that are based onone card values, blackjack values, poker combinations, and baccaratvalues respectively). The player may either choose to play the gamewherein each round incorporates a randomly generated variation, or theplayer may choose to play the variations in a certain order (e.g., theplayer chooses to play the one card variation in the first round, theblack jack variation in the second round, the baccarat variation in thethird round, the poker variation in the fourth round wherein one roundof each variation is played at a time, or the player can select to playany number of rounds for each variation to be played). The player mayalso choose to only play certain variations (e.g., the player chooses toplay only rounds of blackjack variations and baccarat variations) andmay also choose to play a specified percentage or quantity of eachvariation (e.g., the player may choose to play a game wherein 80% of therounds played are blackjack variations and 20% of the rounds played arebaccarat variations, the player may choose to play sixteen blackjackrounds and four baccarat rounds, or the player may choose to play for apredetermined time period such as one hour). Nonetheless, the player mayspecify a variety of preferences (e.g., sequence, quantity, timeperiods, etc., and may choose to play any combination of one or more ofthe variations of the gaming method of the present invention. Forexample, the player may choose to play: any one or combination of thevariations as described hereinabove in the description of theembodiments and in FIGS. 2-9.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be understood that modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit thereof. The above-describedembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive. For example, some actions of thegaming method described above may be added, omitted, modified, orperformed in various sequences, and some of the actions described arefor illustrative purposes, and accordingly, some of the actions may bemodified, added, or omitted without departing from the scope of theinvention.

CONCLUSION AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS

It can be realized from the embodiments described herein that thepresent invention provides a modified casino game that adds newexcitement and is more rewarding than traditional casino games for bothplayers and gaming establishments. The above-described embodiments ofthe present invention have many advantages. For instance, the presentinvention is easier and quicker to play, generates additionalexcitement, and allows for larger payouts than conventional casinogames.

The present invention offers a more streamlined version of a casino gamewhere all the cards are dealt face up to form one community hand, thereare no separate player and dealer hands to value and compare, and theplayer makes only one bet during the course of the game. Therefore,there are no longer confusing multiple betting opportunities or optionssuch as blinds or antes, checking or betting between cards, and folding.This simplification would likely attract more players to the game(especially those who are new to casino games) and allow for a smootherand quicker flow of play. A streamlined version of a casino game wouldalso eliminate complex systems of betting and valuing multiple hands andeliminate the need for strategy, conviction, mathematical aptitude, theability to read other players, the ability to bluff, and the ability tohide facial expressions or other signals that may give away a player'shand. Since the present invention eliminates the foregoing skills, manynovice players can easily learn the rules of play and will not bedeterred from playing. Additionally, in a given time period, casinos canconduct more rounds of play of a more streamlined and simplified game.Thus, the features of the present invention will likely attract higherwagers from bettors, be more enjoyed by players since it is lessstressful and less complicated to play, and be more profitable for boththe players and the casinos that offer them.

The players do not compete against each other like in many conventionalcasino games, and thus more than one player may win in any given round.There is only one community hand and it is irrelevant how the otherplayers are playing or what the other players are betting on. There areno multiple hands to compare or to beat. The player simply has topredict the outcome of the community hand (or the outcome of the onecommunity card drawn in some embodiments). Such features can be moreenticing to new players as it may be less intimidating than playingagainst other more experienced players.

The present invention retains some of the features and advantages ofconventional casino games while also providing the player with astreamlined version of a casino game and en element of variety forenhanced player anticipation and enjoyment. The invention benefits theplayer who desires a novel variation to conventional casino games aswell as the player who does not want to have to learn new rules forvaluing cards and scoring hands, but desires some variety. Furthermore,various embodiments of the present invention have reasonable odds forboth the player and the house. This is another advantage of theinvention because, to be a viable casino game, the gaming method shouldprovide opportunity for a reasonable return for both the house and theplayer.

It is to be understood, that even though some advantages of the presentinvention are described herein, it is not necessary that all theadvantageous features and/or all the advantages need to be incorporatedinto every embodiment of the invention.

Although the present invention has been described above in considerabledetail with reference to certain versions thereof, other versions arepossible. For instance, the gaming method described above is not limitedto being played as a table game. The gaming method may be played as aboard game or by using computers or electronic devices having audio andvideo outputs. Thus, the term “cards” as used in this application refersto traditional cards made of paper stock having traditional gameindicia, such as numbers (2-10), suits (diamonds, hearts, spades, andclubs), and characters (aces, jacks, queens, and kings). The term“cards” is also used to refer to electronic images of traditional cards.The term “dealer” may be an actual person distributing the cards. It isnoted that the dealer may also be a player, and the dealer does not haveto be associated with a business entity having a stake in any profitsderived from operating the game. The players may play against each otherwherein one player is designated as the dealer. Alternatively, theplayers may take turns acting as the dealer. The term “dealer” may alsobe used to refer to a virtual dealer that is programmed through anelectronic device or computer.

The invention can be readily implemented in a wide variety of additionalforms and media including, but not limited to: single player slot videomachines, multi-player slot video machines, electronic games anddevices, lottery terminals, scratch-card formats, software, as well asin-flight, home, and Internet entertainment. Furthermore, the inventioncan be readily implemented in software, which can be stored on a disk(e.g., magnetic disk, compact disc (CD), USB memory stick, pen drives,flash drives, etc.) and used with a computer system. In one embodiment,the gaming method of the present invention may be implemented as acomputer game that may be executed via disk or downloaded from theInternet and played using a computer, gaming console, or an electronichandheld device (e.g., personal digital assistants (PDA), mobile phones,etc.). Such embodiments may be played individually or may be played withother real and/or virtual players. In another embodiment, the presentinvention may be played as an interactive online gambling game whereinthe player may play against the dealer individually or with otherplayers via the Internet. The dealer may be an actual person or avirtual dealer. Similarly, the other players may be actual people orthey may be computer generated virtual players. In other embodiments ofthe invention, the gaming method may be played against a casino orwagering establishment from a remote location via the Internet or anyother type of network.

Some actions of the gaming method described herein may be added,omitted, modified, or performed in various sequences. Additionally, someof the actions described in the various embodiments herein are forillustrative purposes, and as such, some of the actions may be modified,added, or omitted without departing from the scope of the invention.Nonetheless, the various embodiments of the invention which aredescribed herein may be incorporated in a variety of contexts asmentioned above.

In certain variations of the present invention, the gaming method mayfurther include allowing each player to optionally make a side betbefore any cards are drawn. The side bet may win if the player hand iscomprised of any predetermined event such as a predetermined pokercombination, blackjack score, baccarat score, or any other value. Forinstance, the side bet may be made on the occurrence of any one orcombination of a variety of events. The side bet may be based on theoutcome of any one or combination of the community cards drawn duringthe course of the game. For instance, in an alternate embodiment of theinvention wherein at least two community cards are drawn, a side bet maybe made that the first two community cards drawn will form a pair of anydesignated value or a pair of a predetermined value. In other examplesof the invention wherein a plurality of community cards are drawn, aside bet may be based on a plurality of designated community cards(e.g., first and last community cards drawn, the first and secondcommunity cards drawn, etc.) being of a certain value or forming a pair,a blackjack combination (i.e., the sum of the values total twenty-one),or any other predetermined combination. The side bet may also be basedon the occurrence of one specific card. For example, a side bet may bebased that the first second, third, or last community card drawn is anace or any other predetermined value. Any suitable payout schedule maybe used based on the rarity of the hand (i.e., rarer hands get paid morethan less rare hands).

In various embodiments of the invention, the actions of the gamingmethod of the present invention may be performed in a variety of waysand sequences. The one or more community cards drawn may be drawn indifferent ways. For instance, the one or more community cards may bedealt face down before each player selects his value or before eachplayer places his one bet on his selected vale, and then the communitycards may later be revealed after the players have placed their bets.Thus, the effect of dealing a card face down and then later revealing itat some point in the game can also be achieved by merely drawing (ordealing) the card face up at some point after each player places hisbet. It is to be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatmodifications can be made to the gaming method of the present inventionwithout departing from the scope of the invention.

Cards may also be burned in-between the drawing/dealing of the one ormore community cards. It can be realized that if a card is burned, theoutcome may be more challenging to predict as only some cards are usedduring play, and the game indicia of the burned cards cannot be seen bythe players. Burning a card may also protect against the possibility ofa stacked deck or prevent any chance of a player from being able to seethe top card before it is dealt. Furthermore, burning a card may createexcitement, suspense, and drama for the players. It is noted, however,that burning a card may be omitted as desired. For example, inembodiments which involve computer/electronic applications such asonline gambling websites and video games, the burning of cards is notnecessary, but it may nonetheless be included to elevate excitement.

While the description above refers to particular embodiments of thepresent invention, it will be understood that many modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit thereof. The presently disclosedembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive.

1. A method of playing a card game comprising: (a) each player selectinga chosen value from a predetermined set of values; (b) each playerplacing one bet; (c) a dealer drawing a predetermined quantity ofcommunity cards; (d) determining actual value based on the communitycards; and (e) resolving each player's one bet wherein a player wins ifthe player's chosen value matches the actual value.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the predetermined quantity is one and the predeterminedset of values is comprised of Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack,Queen, and King.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the predeterminedquantity is one and the predetermined set of values is comprised of: (i)single card values including: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack,Queen, and King; (ii) two-card values including: 2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 6-7,8-9, 9-10, Jack-Queen, Queen-King, 2-5, 5-8, 8-Jack, 3-6, 6-9, 9-Queen,4-7, 7-10, 10-King; (iii) three-card values including: 2-3-4, 5-6-7,8-9-10, and Jack-Queen-King; (iv) four-card values including:2-5-8-Jack, 3-6-9-Queen, 4-7-10-King, 2-3-5-6, 3-4-6-7, 5-6-8-9,6-7-9-10, 8-9-Jack-Queen, and 9-10-Queen-King; and (v) six-card valuesincluding: 2-3-4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8-9-10, and 8-9-10-Jack-Queen-King.
 4. Themethod of claim 3 wherein if the chosen value matches the actual value,resolving each player's one bet comprises: the dealer paying 11-to-1 ofthe one bet if the chosen value was selected from the single cardvalues; the dealer paying 5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value wasselected from the two-card values; the dealer paying 3-to-1 of the onebet if the chosen value was selected from the three-card values; thedealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value was selectedfrom the four-card values; the dealer paying 1-to-1 of the one bet ifthe chosen value was selected from the six-card values; and if thechosen value does not match the actual value, resolving each player'sone bet comprises: the player losing the one bet unless the communitycard is an Ace; the player losing half of the one bet if the communitycard is an Ace; and the player losing half of the one bet if the chosenvalue is an Ace.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined setof values is comprised of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, Blackjack, and Bust, thepredetermined quantity is two, the actual value is based on a blackjackscore of the community cards if the blackjack score of the communitycards is at least 17, and if the blackjack score of the community cardsis less than 17, said method further comprises requiring the dealer todraw at least one additional card until a total blackjack score of thecommunity cards and the at least one additional card is at least 17wherein the actual value is based on the total blackjack score of thecommunity cards and the at least one additional card.
 6. The method ofclaim 5 wherein if the chosen value matches the actual value, resolvingeach player's one bet comprises: the dealer paying 5-to-1 of the one betif the chosen value is 17; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet ifthe chosen value is 18; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 19; the dealer paying 4-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 20; the dealer paying 12-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 21; the dealer paying 19-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is Blackjack; the dealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet ifthe chosen value is Bust; and if the chosen value does not match theactual value, resolving each player's one bet comprises the playerlosing the one bet.
 7. The method of claim 5 wherein if the chosen valuematches the actual value, resolving each player's one bet comprises: thedealer paying 5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 17; thedealer paying 5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 18; thedealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 19; thedealer paying 4-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 20; thedealer paying 12-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 21; thedealer paying 18-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is Blackjack;the dealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is Bust; andif the chosen value does not match the actual value, resolving eachplayer's one bet comprises the player losing the one bet.
 8. The methodof claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of values is comprised of:four-of-a-kind or better, full house, flush, straight, three-of-a-kind,two pair, and a pair of at least 5's, the predetermined quantity isfive, and the actual value is based on a poker combination formed by thecommunity cards.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein if the chosen valuematches the actual value, resolving each player's one bet comprises: thedealer paying 3000-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value isfour-of-a-kind or better; the dealer paying 600-to-1 of the one bet ifthe chosen value is full house; the dealer paying 450-to-1 of the onebet if the chosen value is flush; the dealer paying 220-to-1 of the onebet if the chosen value is straight; the dealer paying 40-to-1 of theone bet if the chosen value is three-of-a-kind; the dealer paying19-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is two pair; the dealerpaying 2-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is at a pair of atleast 5's; and if the chosen value does not match the actual value,resolving each player's one bet comprises the player losing the one bet.10. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined set of values iscomprised of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, the predeterminedquantity is two, the actual value is based on a baccarat point count ofthe community cards if the baccarat point count of the community cardsis at least 5, and if the baccarat point count of the community cards isless than 5, said method further comprises requiring the dealer to drawa third card wherein the actual value is based on a total baccarat pointcount of the community cards and the third card.
 11. The method of claim10 wherein if the chosen value matches the actual value, resolving eachplayer's one bet comprises: the dealer paying 12-to-1 of the one bet ifthe chosen value is 0; the dealer paying 14-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 1; the dealer paying 14-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 2; the dealer paying 14-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 3; the dealer paying 14-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 4; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosenvalue is 5; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen valueis 6; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 7;the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 8; thedealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 9; and if thechosen value does not match the actual value, resolving each player'sone bet comprises the player losing the one bet.
 12. A method of playinga card game comprising: (a) each player selecting a chosen value from apredetermined set of values comprised of: (i) single card valuesincluding: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, and King; (ii)two-card values including: 2-3, 3-4, 5-6, 6-7, 8-9, 9-10, Jack-Queen,Queen-King, 2-5, 5-8, 8-Jack, 3-6, 6-9, 9-Queen, 4-7, 7-10, 10-King;(iii) three-card values including: 2-3-4, 5-6-7, 8-9-10, andJack-Queen-King; (iv) four-card values including: 2-5-8-Jack,3-6-9-Queen, 4-7-10-King, 2-3-5-6, 3-4-6-7, 5-6-8-9, 6-7-9-10,8-9-Jack-Queen, and 9-10-Queen-King; and (v) six-card values including:2-3-4-5-6-7, 5-6-7-8-9-10, and 8-9-10-Jack-Queen-King; (b) each playerplacing one bet; (c) a dealer drawing one community card; (d)determining actual value based on the one community card; and (e)resolving each player's one bet wherein a player wins if the player'schosen value matches the actual value
 13. The method of claim 12 whereinif the chosen value matches the actual value, resolving each player'sone bet comprises: the dealer paying 11-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value was selected from the single card values; the dealer paying5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value was selected from the two-cardvalues; the dealer paying 3-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value wasselected from the three-card values; the dealer paying 2-to-1 of the onebet if the chosen value was selected from the four-card values; thedealer paying 1-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value was selectedfrom the six-card values; and if the chosen value does not match theactual value, resolving each player's one bet comprises: the playerlosing the one bet unless the community card is an Ace; the playerlosing half of the one bet if the community card is an Ace; and theplayer losing half of the one bet if the chosen value is an Ace.
 14. Amethod of playing a card game comprising: (a) each player selecting achosen value from a predetermined set of values comprised of 17, 18, 19,20, 21, Blackjack, and Bust; (b) each player placing one bet; (c) adealer drawing two community cards; (d) if the blackjack score of thecommunity cards is at least 17, determining actual value based on thetwo community cards (e) if the blackjack score of the community cards isless than 17, requiring the dealer to draw at least one additional carduntil a total blackjack score of the community cards and the at leastone additional card is at least 17 wherein the actual value is based onthe total blackjack score of the community cards and the at least oneadditional card; and (f) resolving each player's one bet wherein aplayer wins if the player's chosen value matches the actual value. 15.The method of claim 14 wherein if the chosen value matches the actualvalue, resolving each player's one bet comprises: the dealer paying5-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 17; the dealer paying6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 18; the dealer paying6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 19; the dealer paying4-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 20; the dealer paying12-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 21; the dealer paying19-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is Blackjack; the dealerpaying 2-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is Bust; and if thechosen value does not match the actual value, resolving each player'sone bet comprises the player losing the one bet.
 16. The method of claim14 wherein if the chosen value matches the actual value, resolving eachplayer's one bet comprises: the dealer paying 5-to-1 of the one bet ifthe chosen value is 17; the dealer paying 5-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 18; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 19; the dealer paying 4-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 20; the dealer paying 12-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 21; the dealer paying 18-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is Blackjack; the dealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet ifthe chosen value is Bust; and if the chosen value does not match theactual value, resolving each player's one bet comprises the playerlosing the one bet.
 17. A method of playing a card game comprising: (a)each player selecting a chosen value from a predetermined set of values;(b) each player placing one bet; (c) a dealer drawing a predeterminedquantity of community cards; (d) determining actual value based on pokercombination formed by the community cards; and (e) resolving eachplayer's one bet wherein a player wins if the player's chosen valuematches the actual value.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein thepredetermined set of values is comprised of: four-of-a-kind or better,full house, flush, straight, three-of-a-kind, two pair, and a pair of atleast 5's and the predetermined quantity is five.
 19. The method ofclaim 18 wherein if the chosen value matches the actual value, resolvingeach player's one bet comprises: the dealer paying 3000-to-1 of the onebet if the chosen value is four-of-a-kind or better; the dealer paying600-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is full house; the dealerpaying 450-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is flush; the dealerpaying 220-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is straight; thedealer paying 40-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value isthree-of-a-kind; the dealer paying 19-to-1 of the one bet if the chosenvalue is two pair; the dealer paying 2-to-1 of the one bet if the chosenvalue is at a pair of at least 5's; and if the chosen value does notmatch the actual value, resolving each player's one bet comprises theplayer losing the one bet.
 20. The method of claim 17 wherein thepredetermined set of value is comprised of: straight flush,three-of-a-kind, straight, flush, and a pair and the predeterminedquantity is three.
 21. A method of playing a card game comprising: (a)each player selecting a chosen value from a predetermined set of valuescomprised of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; (b) each player placingone bet; (c) a dealer drawing two community cards; (d) if baccarat pointcount of the community cards is at least 5, determining actual valuebased on the baccarat point count of the two community cards; (e) if thebaccarat point count of the community cards is less than 5, requiringthe dealer to draw a third card wherein the actual value is based on atotal baccarat point count of the two community cards and the thirdcard; and (f) resolving each player's one bet wherein a player wins ifthe player's chosen value matches the actual value.
 22. The method ofclaim 21 wherein if the chosen value matches the actual value, resolvingeach player's one bet comprises: the dealer paying 12-to-1 of the onebet if the chosen value is 0; the dealer paying 14-to-1 of the one betif the chosen value is 1; the dealer paying 14-to-1 of the one bet ifthe chosen value is 2; the dealer paying 14-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 3; the dealer paying 14-to-1 of the one bet if thechosen value is 4; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosenvalue is 5; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen valueis 6; the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 7;the dealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 8; thedealer paying 6-to-1 of the one bet if the chosen value is 9; and if thechosen value does not match the actual value, resolving each player'sone bet comprises the player losing the one bet.